Culture and Politics
Germany: How Culture and Politics Bring About Social Change
German history and culture are complex, and the country has been through a lot of changes, both in the past and more recently. In order to understand the cultural and political issues today, it is important to see where they have originated from and where they appear to be headed. That can also help foster social change and development, which is needed in every country in order to keep that country moving forward. Here, the political system of Germany will be addressed, followed by a cultural problem that is being seen in the present day. Once those two areas have been discussed, it will be shown how the German culture and political system can come together to create solutions to the problem, including the development of new policies and procedures. Germany has a rich history and there is a good quality of life there for many, but for those who immigrate and those who have little money, there is not enough assistance to allow them freedom or opportunity.
The Political System of Germany
The German political system is a federal parliamentary republic (Dempsey, 2011). Legislative power is vested in two governing bodies: the representative body of the regional states, and the parliament (Dempsey, 2011). The multi-party system has generally been dominated by two groups, which are the Social Democratic Party of German and the Christian Democratic Union (Dempsey, 2011). This has been the case since 1949 (Fulbrook, 1991). Even after the German reunification in 1990, the political system as laid out in 1949's constitution remained largely the same (Heckmann, 2003). There were only a few minor adjustments made to it. Germany also has a judiciary that is independent of both the legislature and the executive branch (Dempsey, 2011). Individual liberty is emphasized by the constitution, and there is an extensive catalog of civil and human rights that divides powers between state and federal, and also between executive, judicial, and legislative branches.
Right now the Christian Democratic Union is in power, with Angela Merkel as chancellor. The Social Democratic Party, after suffering an electoral defeat, has a new party chairman in Sigmar Gabriel. He may bring new ideas to that particular party in an effort to see it return to power. The recent federal elections failed to see Merkel's party reaching an absolute majority, so a grand coalition was formed with the Social Democratic Party. That made Sigmar Gabriel vice-chancellor and everyone was satisfied with the outcome -- except for outlying parties that are not strongly represented and that receive very little of the vote. While Germany has a very clear political system when it comes to how its government operates, it is less clear where its citizens are concerned. That is not so much in the form of laws and regulations, but in the form of people who need assistance.
One Cultural Problem of the Nation
Not being accepting of immigrants and/or people who have very little money is one of the cultural problems that Germany faces (A German, 2006; Meek, 2005). It is not the only one, but it is one that affects a large number of people. While some immigrants come to the country with a lot of money, and many people who live there are financially secure, it can be difficult for people who want to move to Germany permanently from other countries. Getting a visa to remain in the country for an extended period of time is not always easy, and can be unduly harsh on people who want to remain in the country but do not have a job yet and/or do not have a lot of money saved up. For those who are already German citizens but have fallen on hard times or come from poverty, there are many struggles (A German, 2006). Protests have been launched by some grass-roots organizations in an effort to get more help for people who are struggling, but so far these have been largely ineffective in the political arena (A German, 2006).
One of the main issues with this cultural problem is that change comes slowly, and many people who are already established do not feel as though they want to do anything to change the status quo. There is no need for them to do so. This is not to say that no one in Germany is concerned with the struggles faced by the "underclass," but only that...
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